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Capitals Players' Wives and Girlfriends to Participate in Walk Now for Autism, Saturday, Oct. 20

by
Staff Writer
/ Washington Capitals

Charity walk benefits Athletes Against Autism, foundation co-founded by Olie KolzigARLINGTON, Va. – October 3, 2007 – The Washington Capitals players’ wives and girlfriends will participate in Walk Now for Autism, a charity walk benefiting Cure Autism Now/Autism Speaks on Saturday morning, Oct. 20, on the National Mall. Capitals goaltender Olie Kolzig, co-founder of Athletes Against Autism, an initiative of Cure Autism Now/Autism Speaks, will be in attendance at the event, alongside a group of Capitals players who will visit prior to the team’s morning skate.

Kolzig and the Capitals are asking for fans to help reach their goal of signing up 200 walkers and raising $25,000 for this worthwhile cause. Every participant who comes out to walk will receive a Walk Now for Autism T-shirt as thanks for their support. Capitals players’ wives and girlfriends will be walking with the fans at the event, which begins on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Registration will take place at 8 a.m., prior to the walk on the National Mall.

For more information on Walk Now for Autism and Cure Autism Now/Autism Speaks, or to sign up or donate, visit the WALK NOW for Autism Capitals team page.

Athletes Against Autism was co-founded by Capitals goaltender Olie Kolzig, whose son Carson is autistic. An initiative of Cure Autism Now, Athletes Against Autism was organized to raise awareness and funds for autism research, treatment and family support programs.

About Athletes Against AutismAthletes Against Autism was founded by a group of athletes, touched by autism, who are harnessing their efforts into one voice in order to raise awareness and funds for autism research, treatment and family support programs. For more information about Athletes Against Autism, visit www.athletesagainstautism.org.

About Autism Speaks and Cure Autism NowAutism Speaks and Cure Autism Now are dedicated to increasing awareness of the growing autism epidemic and to raising money to fund scientists who are searching for a cure. Cure Autism Now was founded in 1995 by Jonathan Shestack and Portia Iversen, parents of a child with autism. Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, grandparents of a child with autism. Autism Speaks and Cure Autism Now (CAN) recently announced plans to combine operations, bringing together the two leading organizations dedicated to accelerating and funding biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments and cure for autism; to increasing awareness of the nation’s fastest-growing developmental disorder; and to advocating for the needs of affected families. Together the organizations have awarded autism research grants valued at more than $50 million. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit www.autismspeaks.org. To learn more about Cure Autism Now, please visit www.cureautismnow.org.